


Back Up

by multifandomhaven



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-11
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:27:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25834243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/multifandomhaven/pseuds/multifandomhaven
Summary: In which Yamato comes to the rescue of Emi, the only Yamanaka that doesn't have a green thumb. Fluff inside!
Relationships: Yamato | Tenzou/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 12





	Back Up

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve had this idea for a few days and since today is Yamato’s birthday I thought why not? That sweet tree boi deserves more love than he gets!

"EMI!" The Yamanaka girl stared at her older cousin, her eyes wide and fearful. "I left you alone with the shop for one day... how did you manage to let half of the plants in here die?"

The older girl chewed her lip and shrugged her shoulders, an expression of embarrassment clear on her face. Around them sat pots and pots of withering plants in varying stages of decay. "I'm really sorry, Ino, I-"

"Mom is going to kill us," Ino groaned, letting her head fall onto the counter where they stood. She lifted it and let it fall multiple times all the while repeating, "we're dead, we are _so_ dead."

"Hey, it's going to be fine! Don't be so dramatic," Emi said, rubbing Ino's shoulder comfortingly. "I'll explain it to her, you don't have to worry about it, okay? It's on me."

"You don't understand," Ino cried, "I wasn't supposed to leave and Mom made that very clear."

The warm hand on her back stopped moving and Ino peeked up hesitantly. The guilt in her eyes was almost enough to drown her. The older girl sighed. "I thought you said you were going on a mission? Surely your mother knew you'd have to leave the village for that."

Ino chuckled nervously. "Yeah, well see... the thing is... I didn't exactly have a mission," she admitted. "At all."

Emi hummed, a hint of annoyance slipping through her faux calm demeanor. "So then, where _did_ you go, Ino?"

"I went on a date," Ino spoke slowly at first, but finished quickly with, "but you can't tell anyone, okay. It's just casual. Nothing serious. Please, Mom can't know."

The older girl tapped her fingers on the counter anxiously, her eyes scanning over the wilting, brown leaves of so many sad plants. She went over multiple ways of breaking the news to her aunt, each more unpleasant than the last. The matriarch of the Yamanaka family wouldn't take too kindly to her husband's dream being shattered by anyone - especially not the two people she was closest to. Emi shook her head, clearing her mind of the disappointed look on her aunt's face, and sighed. "Okay, we can fix this. It's not a big deal, we'll just... go find some new plants."

"New plants," Ino repeated brightly. She shot up from her seat and ran for the door, a beaming smile on her face. "You're a genius! I love you, I'll be back!"

Emi watched her run out of the shop, blinking in confusion.

A little while later, a dozen broken flowerpots littered the floor around her, and more little cuts than she could count marked her fingers, the door was wrenched open and two sets of footsteps entered the shop - one hurried and frantic and the other slow and calm. Methodical, even.

"Emi," Ino called, "I'm here and I brought back up."

Emi poked her head out from behind the counter, her eyebrow raised. "Back up?"

In front of her stood Ino with a ninja - a man a few years older than herself - who greeted her with a small wave. Ino stepped forward, her eyes crinkled in a huge smile, and introduced them. "This is Captain Yamato, he helps out with Sakura's team sometimes."

The older Yamanaka smiled from her place on the floor. "It's nice to meet you, Captain."

"Please," the man blushed and cleared his throat, "call me Yamato."

She held her hand out for him to grasp. He bent slightly and clasped her hand in his own, warm and encompassing. "I'm Emi."

"Okay, okay, enough of that," Ino interrupted hastily, helping her cousin off the floor. "Captain Yamato here has agreed to help us out."

The older girl smiled. "You seriously have no idea how grateful we are! Thank you so much," she told him.

He rubbed the back of his neck and mumbled, "Ah, it's no problem. Really."

Emi's eyes snapped away from him when Ino elbowed her sharply in the side. "So... where do we even start looking?"

"We don't have to go anywhere," Ino gleamed. "Just watch."

She gave Yamato a small nod and he walked over to the counter, grimacing at all the dead plants surrounding him. He made a few quick hand signs and then pressed his fingers against the soil. Slowly, the plant began to regain it's color and strength, going from a sad wilted brown to a beautiful, plump green. It was like magic and the older girl was amazed.

"Whoa," she said slowly, peeking around his shoulder to watch. "That's amazing."

Yamato glanced at her, watching as her eyes sparkled in awe and felt the corners of his lips curl in delight - it wasn't often anyone reacted like that to his jutsu anymore. His chest puffed out a fraction more at the sight of her interest. One by one he went around reviving the plants to their former glory, some were even more beautiful than they were before she wreaked her unintentional havoc on them. Before the three of them knew it darkness had fallen over the village.

"I'm going to go get something to eat," Ino grumbled, her interest having disappeared alongside the daylight. "I'm starving."

Emi nodded, tucking away a wisp of blonde hair that had fallen into her face, leaving a streak of dirt in its wake. "Go ahead, I think we've got it handled from here."

Ino left quietly, leaving the adults alone in the shop, and, for the first time all day, the older Yamanaka felt her heart speed up. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been left alone with a man her age - nevermind a cute, helpful one. She swallowed down her schoolgirl feelings and focused on the task at hand, replanting the flowers from the pots she had broken earlier.

Once they had restored every plant in the shop Emi turned to Yamato, a tired, thankful smile on her lips. "This was so great of you, you know? Taking the time out of your day to help us. You must be a busy man, being a ninja and all."

"Oh," Yamato said shyly. "It was nothing."

The girl shook her head at his humility. "Take the compliment, Captain."

"Very well," he agreed, a grin on his lips. "It was my pleasure."

Emi raised an eyebrow at him, a teasing smile on her lip. "Your _pleasure_ , eh?"

"U-Uh," Yamato face instantly turned a shade of scarlet that even the roses in the shop would've envied. His words sputtered lifelessly on his tongue while his hand found it's way back to the nape of his neck. "I-I just meant-"

Mirth danced in Emi's eyes and she let out a loud laugh. "Relax," she told him between her giggles, "I'm kidding."

Yamato slowly unfurled and he began to chuckle along with her. His eyes roamed over her face, zeroing in on the streak of dirt of her forehead. "You, uh, you have -" he motioned toward his own face.

"What?" she questioned. "What is it?"

"Dirt," Yamato reached his hand out, stopping before he made contact with her skin. "May I?"

Emi nodded and slowly, as if she would change her mind and wrench herself away from his hand, he eased toward her face. His touch was gentle, yet firm, as his thumb wiped away the remnants of the dirt.

"There," he said quietly, his eyes never leaving her own.

"Thank you," she responded, her voice just as quiet.

Yamato's hand traced over her temple and down to her cheek, and then, before she could even blink, he took a step back. "Was there, uh, was there anything else I could help you with?" He was winded, his voice shaky and thin.

She shook her head, locked in a daze with something as simple as his touch. "I think we have anything back in order now, thanks to you."

He blushed. "Ah, well..."

"Unless," she added.

Yamato's ears perked up. "Yes?"

"Unless you want to go get some dinner?" She chewed her lip, trying to rid herself of the nerves that seized her chest.

"Sure," Yamato breathed, an overwhelming sense of happiness and relief washing over him - he found himself a little deflated at the thought of leaving without really getting to know her. "I would like that."

"Let me go get my things and we can head out," she told him happily. "You can choose the place, my treat!"


End file.
